Caroline Wawzonek

Députée de Yellowknife Sud

Circonscription électorale de Yellowknife Sud 

Caroline Wawzonek a été élue pour la première fois à la 19e Assemblée législative en 2019, comme représentante de Yellowknife Sud. Elle a été ministre de la Justice, ministre des Finances, ministre responsable de la condition de la femme, et ministre de l’Industrie, du Tourisme et de l’Investissement. En 2023, Mme Wawzonek a été élue par acclamation à la 20e Assemblée législative et a réintégré le Conseil exécutif en tant que première ministre adjointe, ministre des Finances, ministre de l’Infrastructure et ministre responsable de la Société d’énergie des TNO.

Mme Wawzonek a obtenu un baccalauréat ès arts de l’Université de Calgary en 2000 et un diplôme en droit de la faculté de droit de l’Université de Toronto en 2005. Son parcours universitaire comprend des études de langues en Chine et à Taïwan, ainsi que des stages de droit aux Philippines et en Angleterre. Mme Wawzonek est née à Calgary (Alberta) et habite Yellowknife depuis 2007.

Une fois admise au Barreau des TNO, Mme Wawzonek a mis sur pied sa propre pratique du droit pénal et a plaidé à tous les échelons du système judiciaire des Territoires du Nord-Ouest, et s’est souvent déplacée dans les collectivités ténoises à cet effet. Elle a ensuite intégré le cabinet d’avocats Dragon Toner, élargissant sa pratique au litige général et au droit administratif jusqu’à ce qu’elle devienne députée de la 19e Assemblée.

Depuis 2007, Mme Wawzonek a assumé de nombreux rôles de leadership au sein de la communauté juridique : elle a notamment été présidente du Barreau des Territoires du Nord-Ouest et présidente de section pour la division des Territoires du Nord-Ouest de l’Association du Barreau canadien, et a participé à divers groupes de travail. Son engagement envers la collectivité l’a amenée à œuvrer dans de multiples organisations de Yellowknife et, en 2017, elle a reçu un prix national soulignant le travail de femmes canadiennes œuvrant dans le domaine du droit.

Mère de deux enfants, Caroline Wawzonek aime courir, faire de la planche à pagaie et passer du temps à l’extérieur.

Committees

Caroline Wawzonek
Yellowknife Sud
Bureau

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Boîte
1320
Extension
12177
Vice-premier ministre, Ministère des finances, Ministre de l'Infrastructure, Ministre responsable de la Société d'énergie des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
Mobile
Ministre

Déclarations dans les débats

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 41)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I don't have that level of detail here. I'm not sure if -- no, I don't have that level of detail, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 41)

That would be the then total, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 41)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. $257,000.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 41)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So two issues there. One is the chemotherapy drugs specifically which is what this particular item is in relation to. The services here, obviously costs are going up, drug costs are going up. There are some recoveries and some rebates as a result of agreements that are being signed in terms of providing the ability to seek some lower cost drugs, but we do have a shortage at $484,000. There's more clients requiring the drugs and then also the fact that the drugs are more costly.

Mr. Chair, more broadly, with drug-related costs and expenditures, certainly, again, I would...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 41)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, Mr. Chair, so earlier in the fall, or I guess now in the fall, I had written to make that request. I have recently had an opportunity to be in contact with the Minister of Finance for the federal government who has confirmed that the matter is moving forward. We don't have a final confirmation. There is an internal process within the federal government that they go through, but I understand that that is underway. So I had hoped to have a final confirmation of that obviously before we are now in our own budget session but we are confident, given the information that I...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 41)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the more fulsome response likely lies either with the Premier or the Minister of health. I certainly can say that in the last year, and even before that, that it is an issue that does come up at bilateral meetings with the NWT Metis Nation and that, in fact, progress in terms of at least our collective or joint advocacy is positive. The president and the Northwest Territories Metis Nation actually travelled with Minister -- our current Minister when she was last there to advocate on this very issue. So while it is a bit frustrating for all of us, it is...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 41)

Mr. Chair, I have -- I only have here the supplementary estimates total. I don't have the original line item. I may be able to find it. It would be a line item potentially in the 2025-2026 budget but that is considered by committee. So I -- yes, I don't have the original budget; I have only the supplementary estimates around here, sorry. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 41)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, again, I don't have that in the materials in front of me on the sup. I can say anecdotically that I'm aware that, for example, communities outside of the regional centres, so small communities does -- occasionally there are opportunities to work with a community band or Indigenous organization who may have some land or some lease space available but, again, as a broad comment I will have to get back to the Member. I'm happy to do that. Again, I actually do -- I do find the leasing space one that I'm interested in, Mr. Chair. I just don't have that level of...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 41)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, that's an excellent question and to my knowledge, that's exactly the kind of question that is being looked at by the health sustainability unit. I don't have the trends in the supplementary estimates document or background. I can say that this may well include some of the additional amounts that we would have incurred -- oh no, those things -- we did see certainly a bump when the evacuations took place, for example, in 2023, but that would have been dealt with in the past fiscal year. So as far as beyond that for trends, as I say, it is certainly something that...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 41)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, if we borrow more, we have to pay more but, Mr. Chair, the limit is just the maximum amount that we can borrow, not necessarily money that we are, in fact, borrowing, so that -- what would be proposed for -- to be available for borrowing comes through in the budget every year so you will see the -- that there's -- in the main estimates, one of the front end pages has the proposed borrowing plan and that is what's -- where it is reflecting amounts that are anticipated year to year, long-term debt and short-term debt. That's the portion that we would see potentially...